Stolen Skye (Book One, The Skye Trilogy) (9 page)

Too soon we slowed to turn into a driveway barely visible from the road.
Iron gates churned to life and allowed us to pass. The drive was covered in small, cream-colored stones that crunched as we passed over them. Beyond the large boxwoods, a modern home came into view. It was a symphony of wood, steel, concrete, and glass. It was not what I was expecting from the “bat cave” reference, or from my first impression of Ari. However, it did remind me of Dura Vita, so his family must like something about contemporary design.

Inside the spacious home, the floors throughout were light wood and gleaming.
As we walked through, Finn named the different rooms and turned on lights to give me a look. Impressive artwork was lit by recessed lighting and hung on professionally textured, neutral walls. If it weren’t for the furniture, you could easily think you were in a gallery. The art provided all the color in the house. All else was varying shades of beige and white. There were no people in the art, I noticed, mostly still life, land and seascapes. The entire back wall of the house was glass and looked out onto the rectangular pool off to the left and the manicured grounds beyond.

The idea of seeing Ari’s home had made me think I might learn more about him.
There was no chance of that based on the tour. The huge kitchen was empty of even a box of spaghetti, though I didn’t look in the refrigerator out of politeness. The absence of character told me something about him, at least. He didn’t know himself or he didn’t want anyone else to. The upstairs were bedrooms and Finn asked if I wanted to take a look. It felt creepy to skulk around in Ari’s private quarters, so I declined.

“Well, that’s the main part of the house.
Ari has parties here sometimes. He has to keep his image up. He’s pretty well known in fashionable circles.” Finn was trying to be a good tour guide. It had turned into a warmer day than expected for London in December. I slid open the glass door leading out onto the pool patio and sat in one of the well-cushioned armchairs around the outdoor dining table. Finn and Bounce followed, joining me as I looked out onto the grounds.

“So, since this all started with Ari, can you tell me more about him?
Something other than he doesn’t want me here?”

“Right, well, not one of us has a fairy tale to tell, just so you know,” Finn responded with a sardonic smile.

“Yes, but I really want to understand.”

Finn nodded.
“Ari’s mother was one of the gypsies who lived in Blackheath, outside Lewisham. She was taking jobs as a seamstress in London, where she met a man that got her pregnant. It was a short-lived romance. She and the rest of her family raised Ari. She became a virtual outcast from some of the more traditional families and had a hard time making ends meet. What little they had was from his uncle, through the hard work he did as a day laborer and cook for a tavern. Ari and some of the other kids would go into the city on the train and spend the weekends robbing tourists for extra cash.

“His mother passed away when he was nine.
His uncle, Gheorghe, tracked down Ari’s father and told him how strong and intelligent Ari was, convincing him to let Ari go live with him. Turns out, his dad was a very wealthy man in Scotland. Ari went off and got an education, caring for his dad while he drank himself to death. At eighteen, after his father died, he came back, picking up where he left off with his cousins, moving into more sophisticated burglary. He’s a natural.” It was obvious when Finn realized he was still mad with Ari as the look of admiration he wore during the story vanished.

“How did you meet?” I asked, sifting through the story to see if anything made me understand Ari better.

Bounce responded, “I came over to Europe when my brother went to jail for two counts of grand theft auto. He had taught me to steal and rebuild cars before I had even learned to ride a bike. Anyway, I met Ari on a job. He has mad skills.”

Finn interjected, “I met him roughly the same way.
I found myself suddenly without a home and on the streets in Rome, pan-handling and stealing anything that wasn’t nailed down. A woman who knew Ari offered me a meal and made an introduction.” He told the story unusually quickly, even for him with his clipped, lyrical way of speaking.

“You mean, one woman kicked you out and another picked you up and then you met Ari.”
Bounce laughed. “Thank God for that smile of yours.” I laughed too — at least he played to his strengths.

“Ari already knew Raven, and Brinks came along about six months before we met you,” Finn added.
We sat for a moment in silence. I thought about Ari. Picturing him as Roma and a Scotsman were both impossible. Physically, he did look like a blend of the two with his dark features and light skin, but when he spoke he sounded like English nobility. How I fit into their lives was a mystery. I couldn’t comprehend how I would’ve been moved to steal from anyone.

“What was my role in all of this?”
I was certain I didn’t build cars.

“Let’s go downstairs and show you the work room.”
Finn stood up and guided us back through the kitchen and down the stairs to the ground floor. From what I could see, it was covered in black, grooved rubber squares that fit together like puzzle pieces. There was every kind of weight equipment imaginable along the perimeter and a large boxing ring in the very middle. There was a wet sauna off in the far corner and a walk-in wine cooler just to our right, off the stairs. This level was as clean as the upstairs, but there was no artwork. There was, however, one large wall item that caught my eye. I stepped closer to a gilded frame with a red background. Within it hung a royal blue ribbon edged in red and white and on the end was a grand medallion with a white, enamel cross and a gold crest in the center. 

“That’s Ari’s
, from the Queen. The Royal Victorian Order. He’s a knight.” Bounce stared at me, waiting for me to be impressed. I was sure my face looked more confused.

“How does a thief become a knight?”

“Thief is a relative term to some.
Come on, follow me.” Finn took my hand and stepped into the wine cooler. He flipped a small light switch, which caused the sound of a bolt being thrown. He pushed the far wall and it swung open, wine and all, to reveal a whole hidden section of the house.

“This must be the bat cave.
What, no retina scan?” I couldn’t help but smile at my own joke.

“Well, I mean, there’s no costume change, but we like it.”
Finn smiled in response after shutting the wall behind us and locking it in place.

We walked into the space while Bounce continued on toward the back and Finn rifled through some paper work at the base of a huge white board with markers.
The opposite wall held an enormous flat screen TV. The walls were a burgundy red with white crown molding and a dark wood ceiling. I went to sit at one of the brown leather chairs surrounding an oval, muddy-brown granite table. This room was far less tidy than the rest of the house. Finally, a place that looked lived in. I noticed on the other side of the wall were computers, printers and other technical equipment I didn’t recognize. Even though I wasn’t sure what everything was, it was all impressive.

“So, what do you think?”
Bounce came back into view and sat at the table.

“Well, it’s certainly well-appointed for a nerve center.
So, what did we do here?”

Finn replied, “We p
lanned out the different jobs. You wanted to be a striker like Raven and I, but you were good at blending in and reading people. Ari was training you to be our surveillance. You gave information on the people that were relevant and took pictures. We filled in the technical pieces at this table.” Finn tapped his finger against the granite for emphasis. “With Ari’s popularity, it was best he started spending less time around a place, so you were becoming real useful in the prep work.”

“So, I didn’t really take anything?
Like, go into a vault and come out with a diamond necklace in my pocket?”

“No.
You were eager to try though.” Nothing Finn said sparked any memory, but observing from the sidelines did match my personality. I’d been trying to imagine what part I could have played that made any sense. Being a recorder of information fit like a glove.

“Evy, I gotta ask.
Do you remember anything about our last job? It was right before you left.” Bounce took my hand and leaned into me, turning very serious.

“No.
Why? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, it was all very successful, but, if you don’t remember it, we still have no idea what you did with your take.”
Bounce looked to Finn and they frowned in unison.

“Take?
You mean money or, like jewels or something?”

“Somewhere you should have close to $250,000 stashed away.
For your sake, we were hoping we could help you figure out where,” Finn explained. I couldn’t hide the awed surprise on my face.

“What was the job, I mean, what did we do?”
I was struggling, hoping something would unlock the secrets in my stupid brain. A quarter of a million dollars. Who doesn’t remember things like that? I had to be the worst amnesia patient in the history of medicine.

“Ari requested that any specific crimes were left to him to discuss with you.
Obviously, we want to help, but he asked for no details right now.” Bounce looked at me with some regret in her expression; she clearly wanted to tell me everything. We both jumped at the sound of the door latch opening. Finn looked over to a monitor to see who was approaching. The wall opened and Brinks stepped into the room, startled to see us.

“Hey guys.
Sorry, I didn’t think to ask if anyone was here. What are we discussing?” Brinks set down a backpack while slurping an iced coffee drink. I recognized the Dura Vita logo.

“Just shedding some light for Evelyn and looking for her money,” Bounce said, grabbing the drink out of his hand for a sip.
He swatted at her to no avail.

“Did anything come back for you?”
he asked as he took a seat.

“No, nothing,” I was annoyed with myself and starting to get a headache.

“Well, it will come with time.”
His accent made me want to order a pina colada and sit on the beach for the rest of the afternoon. “What else do you have planned for the day?” he asked.

“Since we can’t take Evelyn shopping
with her new found fortune, we’re wide open. Why are you here?” Bounce inquired, stealing another sip.

“Ari called.
He wanted me to look into something… do some research. He’s cutting his trip short. He’ll be back tomorrow.” Finn and Bounce looked to each other, like they wanted to dive at the carrot Brinks dangled, but then they glanced in my direction. It must be tough to be both thieves and babysitters.

“If you want to talk I can go wait upstairs or something, just show me how to get out of here.”
I stood and moved toward the air tight door.

“No, Bounce, let’s go and leave Brinks alone.
We can catch up later. You don’t need us right?” Finn stood as well and slapped Brinks on the back.

“No, I’m good.
Let me know if there’s anything going on tonight.” Brinks smiled at me, waving goodbye. “See you later, Evy. Don’t worry, we’ll find your fortune.”

I
wished I was half as optimistic.

Chapter
9. Sister Saeran

Finn, Bounce
, and I spent the remainder of the day traveling through London with Derek at the wheel, sightseeing. Bounce had insisted on sitting in the middle of the back seat since she was the shortest. I was thankful for the space from Finn so I could concentrate. We drove through the grounds of King’s College, just to see if any buildings looked familiar. They did, but not in a way that excited anyone. Walking to class and my dormitory were all images I recalled early on. Bounce’s phone went off, surprising us.

After hanging up Bounce said, “Raven wants everyone to come over for a Colombian dinner tonight to welcome you back.
When we finish up here, she asked me to pick up some wine and then ordered me to get home and help her.” Bounce checked her watch for the time.

“Huh.
Well, that is certainly unexpected,” Finn stated.

“Why?”
I had to ask since they seemed suspicious of her.

“Just a tad domestic for her.
I’ll give Brinks a call and let him know.”

After lunch, we took Bounce to a wine shop on St. James Street.
Though Finn tried hard to get me to stop at the grocery for a box of wine, thinking that would be hilarious, I wanted to buy something Raven would appreciate. Thomas, the very enthusiastic wine enthusiast at the counter, took us over to the Spanish reds. I selected three bottles of the 2005 Contino per his recommendation.

After dropping Bounce off at her scooter, Finn asked as he slipped back into the car, “Would you like to see my boat?”

“Sure.” I wasn’t exactly sure, really. I had been very aware of Finn all day, and being alone with him on a boat made me nervous. He ignored the trepidation in my voice and told Derek to take him home.

St. Katharine Marina appeared to be very popular with upscale shops and trendy restaurants overlooking the water.
Finn explained his boat was located in the Centre Basin, not off the private dock. He didn’t seem to want me to think some of the yachts we passed were anything to gage his by. After walking past several, I spotted his. “Finn, I hate to break it to you, but it is technically a yacht.” I walked over to the side, waiting for him to catch up.

He stopped abruptly
, a stunned look on his face. “Evelyn, how did you know this was my boat?” Finn placed his hand on my shoulder, bending to look me in the eyes.

I spoke slowly, not even understanding myself how I knew.
“Your boat’s named the Sister Saeran.” Suddenly, I remembered. He had named the boat after the nun who was kind to him at the orphanage in Ireland. I looked back at him, mirroring his amazement, and then checked the end of the boat again to make sure I’d gotten it right. “The nun who helped you at the orphanage, you named the boat for her. I remember you telling me about her.” A smile spread across my face. It was such a relief to have a clear memory of him and know that more was possible. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from me. Finally, after years of waiting, things were starting to come back to life.

“You’re exactly right.”
He picked me up and spun me around while I tried to see if there was anything else I could recall. There was just the name and feeling thankful for a nun who took pity on a boy. Finn put me down on the ground and I stayed close to him, laying my head against his chest. I didn’t know how to express how immensely happy I was. We stood there, holding each other silently.

Before our closeness could become problematic, I stepped back, beaming up at him.
“You were right to bring me here. Thank you again for the hundredth time. Let’s go onboard.” The Sister Saeran resembled a state-of-the-art, blunt-nosed tug boat. Finn wrinkled his nose at my observation.

“You can cross an ocean in a
Nordhavn. That was my primary requirement. I bought it used off an old couple from Dover about four years ago,” he explained as we took in the scene off the bow. From St. Katharine Marina you could see the Tower Bridge, with the Tower of London just beyond. Standing silently next to him, listening to the water break against the boat, it finally felt like I was in England. Like my history with them had actually been real. I was a thief… a dropout from Boston University who didn’t go home, and remarkably made friends with a band of outcasts. Clearly, by most people’s standards, I’d fallen in with the wrong crowd back then, but these people meant something to me just the same. I didn’t remember everything, but as I took Finn’s hand, staring out over old London, I began to embrace it.

After a full tour, we stopped on the back deck, taking a seat as the sun began its fast descent.
Finn got us a couple of beers and I asked him, for what must have been the second time in our friendship, the details of his youth.

“Orphan life wasn’t for me, Evy.
After a particularly harsh punishment, Sister Saeran placed twenty pounds in my hand and told me she had a friend, Seamus, who worked on the O’Gorman, and to go to the Cork docks and ask for him. A week later, I got up the nerve to run, but I never found the boat. I slept at the docks in an empty shipping container. I was frightened, but it was far better than the cot in the orphanage, unbelievably so. My lot had improved considerably in my eyes.

“I started working odd jobs for almost nothing
then met a few people who found theft to be a good way to make a shilling or two. After pick-pocketing and burglary, I tried my luck at fishing boats. I got a taste for the sea and the freedom. I was going out regularly off the Italian coast in Bagnara Calabra. After a couple years, I met a woman and some other Italians that were interested in fencing artwork. We hit a few galleries successfully. I came home one day to find that she and the money were gone. I traveled to Rome, hoping to meet up with some other thieves I’d heard of. Soon, a friend of Ari’s took me in and made the intro.” He clapped his hands together indicating story time was over.

“Why have you
stayed together all this time?” From the expression on his face, this seemed a more difficult question to answer.

“I imagine because we were young without many to rely on.
Trust amongst thieves is rare, but we had it for each other. Anyway, being together was more fun than striking out on our own. We got better working together, and Ari’s contacts made it all more exciting. Stealing cars and knocking over low rent jewelry stores are never going to be enough for any of us again.” Finn laughed and strode over into the galley.

“What contacts?
What’s so great about them?”

After a small pause, “Let’s wait for Ari.
Some things are better coming from him. Do you want another beer?” Finn glanced over at me.

“
If we’re going to a dinner party, I should probably get back to the room and change. He took my hand as we disembarked and walked back silently toward the car. Finn put me into the backseat, letting Derek and I know I needed to be picked up at 7 PM and taken to Raven’s. He bent down and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I thought about a little boy with only twenty pounds in his hand, setting off on his own to conquer Ireland as we drove back to the hotel in silence.

Once alone in my room, I went over all I had learned so far.
Their stories were much sadder than mine. I’d been raised by parents that cared for me, and though stale and suffocating, my life had been a good one. The one thing my new friends and I seemed to have in common was that what we’d been born into wasn’t enough. I was never able to explain it well, but the life I was living as a child and young adult felt like a half-life. Maybe all of this had made me whole in the past. Perhaps it had taken something exciting with an element of danger to wake me up.

I called home to assure my mother all was well.
I told her about the hotel and that I had met David for dinner. She asked about him more and I gave her some vague answers about classes we took and his job at a bank. I described him as Finn and found some pleasure in picturing Finn in a dark navy suit with red power tie, going to work at a local bank every morning. It was laughable. As I hung up, I was glad the lie I told back in Newport was now true. I had started to remember.

With the call behind me, I contemplated what someone wears to a Colombian, welcome-back-to-life dinner.
I selected a charcoal gray skirt with a red sweater, tartan print heels and a black pearl set my mother had given me. Before dressing, I reclined in a hot bath. After embracing all that had been shared over the last couple days, I felt more like me than I had in years. It was strange to think that I had thought of myself as content, working as hard as I did at the hotel. My life had been so different before the accident and then it had all disappeared. I had replaced it with years of the same day, living it over and over. Eat, work, the Pearl, and sleep. No wonder something inside of me kept trying to tell me there was more.

I also pondered the missing $250,000.
There had to be something I could do to help myself remember. Whether anything more was going to come back to me or not, I couldn’t deny my life had become infinitely more exciting. Maybe I could have Newport and this, I thought. Common was fine, as a cover. I couldn’t actually see myself engaged in a crime, but the idea of it was fascinating. As I dipped below the water’s surface, I vowed that if Ari thought he was coming home to tell me some stories and put me on a plane before I was ready, he was dead wrong.